Spiritualism

Spiritualism — Power Evaluation

Final Score: 54 ± 6 · Confidence: Medium

• Intrinsic: 53 · Deck: 53 · Meta: provisional
• Primary role: Removal · Secondary: Board breaker / Going-second, Utility

Why it scores here

Spiritualism converts a single card into guaranteed, un-negatable removal of one opposing Spell/Trap — the text states its activation and effect cannot be negated — which makes it a reliable answer to backrow-heavy boards and to counter-traps that would otherwise blank a removal spell. That reliability is real but narrow: it never touches monsters, it returns rather than destroys (so Continuous/Field Spells can simply be re-set), and it builds nothing, so it contributes almost nothing to a combo or end board. Its spread across 120 distinct archetypes at 2.12 average copies confirms it is a practical generic tech rather than an isolated niche pick, but frequency is used here only as proof of accessibility, not as a power boost. No points were awarded for ATK/DEF (it is a 0/0 Spell) and none for its 4925 view count.

Axis scores

Calculation

Weight profile: 0.7 Removal / Negation + 0.3 Utility. Intrinsic ≈ 53, Deck ≈ 53, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: Exceptional splashability (1). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck

Strengths

• Activation and effect cannot be negated, so counter-traps and negate boards cannot stop it
• Hits any opposing Spell/Trap, including Field Spells, Continuous cards, Equip Spells and set backrow
• No cost, no once-per-turn lock, no archetype restriction, legal in TCG/OCG/MasterDuel/DuelLinks
• Confirmed practical reach: 356 decks across 120 archetypes, average 2.12 copies, 151 decks at 3

Weaknesses

• Cannot remove monsters, so it is blank against monster-only end boards
• Returns the target to hand instead of destroying it, letting Continuous/Field Spells be re-activated
• Does nothing to build, extend or protect a board — zero combo contribution in the recorded data
• Poor going first and in any matchup without meaningful opposing backrow

Counters / choke points

• Monster-only end boards with no Spell/Trap to target
• Effects that prevent Spell activation rather than negate it, such as Anti-Spell Fragrance-style restrictions
• Continuous and Field Spells that are simply re-set or re-activated after being returned to hand

Best use

Generic tech removal for opposing backrow, best in the side deck and brought in against trap/backrow-heavy matchups. Decks: Therion, Lyrilusc, Lunalight, Dark Magician, Ancient Gears. Suggested copies: 2.

Evidence & gaps

• Verified: Card text: return 1 Spell/Trap the opponent controls to the hand; Card text: this card's activation and effect cannot be negated; Normal Spell, no cost, no once-per-turn clause, 0 ATK / 0 DEF, no archetype; Legal in TCG, OCG, MasterDuel and DuelLinks
• Observed: 356 decks run it, all in the main deck, average 2.12 copies (151 lists at 3, 96 at 2, 109 at 1); Spread across 120 distinct archetypes, led by Therion at 12.6%; usage statistics: Lyrilusc 100% inclusion (1 copy), Lunalight 100% (2 copies), Therion 81.6% (3 copies); combo data: 0 appearances, 0 as starter, 0 as searched, 0 as material, 0 as payoff
• Inferred: With no dedicated searcher in the evidence it is drawn naturally rather than tutored, limiting how often it is live; Because the target is returned to hand rather than destroyed, Continuous and Field Spells can be re-activated; It is a poor going-first card and blank in matchups without opposing backrow
• Data gaps: no combos supplied — combo conversion is text-only inference no banlist token — assumed 3 copies (unlimited) no gameplay-type naming and no side-deck split (all 356 lists counted as main deck) single guide mention with an empty snippet, so human role context is effectively absent